Public support for a U.S. ban on TikTok has significantly decreased since March 2023, with only 32% of Americans now in favor of the move, according to Pew Research. This shift reflects changing political dynamics and declining support, especially among Republicans.
Key Points:
- In March 2023, 50% of Americans supported a TikTok ban, but this figure has since dropped to 32%.
- Support among Republican respondents has notably decreased by 18 percentage points in the last 18 months.
- Donald Trump's reversal from opposing TikTok to defending it has likely contributed to the shift in Republican views.
- Vice President Kamala Harris remains opposed to banning TikTok but suggests a change in ownership.
- ByteDance refuses to divest TikTok, setting the stage for a legal battle as the U.S. government seeks to regulate the app.
Discussion (2)
Im not surprised the support for a ban is dropping. It feels like the conversation about TikTok has shifted from "national security threat" to more of a cultural thing. Everyone is on it now, even politicians and news outlets. Banning it would feel weird, like cutting off a huge part of modern social interaction.
I'm not at all saying you're wrong. Familiarity makes people less fearful. But I think it's ironic that the argument for the ban was that the app is controlled by China, which uses it for nefarious purposes. So if anything, it being more popular makes this theoretical risk bigger.